Nebraska on my Mind
by SRAM
Summary: Lenny Week Story, using the theme VACATION.


**Vacation for Lenny Week**

Penny slowly put away some clothes she had just washed, into the dresser of her old room, the room that her and Leonard were sharing while they visited her parents. They had now been in Nebraska, over three weeks, Penny convincing Leonard to go with her there for a month that summer. Well not really convincing, she asked him to go for the month with her, giving him her best puppy dog eyes and a pout, he just looked at her and said 'Okay'. Since their engagement they really hadn't spent much time apart and even though she probably wouldn't have gone without him, him readily agreeing to come with her, she believed, was because he didn't want to be away from her that long either.

It had been a very busy time for them after they got engaged, Leonard finishing up his experiments and lectures before the end of the semester at Cal Tech and her getting another commercial. The commercial had been nice surprise but what really was great for Penny was what happened in the last episode of NCIS, that season, they included her scene, flirting with Agent Gibbs. Penny had been ecstatic after her agent told her about her scene being put in the show, but she absolutely went crazy when the show told her agent they wanted her for three more episodes in the next season. Her character would continue to flirt with Agent Gibbs, in two of the episodes, and then Agent Gibbs would work to solve the murder of her character, in the third, it was the break in her career she had been looking for.

That finishing of the commercial and the show not starting till August, left the summer open for her and she wanted to visit her family, because she hadn't seen them for two years. She also wanted Leonard to go, so she could show him off to her friends and family, plus keep him close to her, she couldn't see herself being happy without him. So her being between jobs and Leonard on summer break made a month long visit possible and Penny wanted to take advantage of it, so now they were here. It had been a wonderful three weeks, her family taking to Leonard right away and his intelligence along with his modesty making her family fall in love with him just like she had. Her dad had also immediately took Leonard under his wing, bragging about him and showing him everything he needed to know about her family, the farm and living in this part of Nebraska. Yes, it had been the perfect three weeks, until now, Penny was late having her period and she thought she might be pregnant.

It was still early in the morning, as she put the last of the clothes away, everyone having gotten up at dawn and after eating breakfast, going out to do farm work a little after 7 AM. Leonard and even her had adjusted to this time schedule, after the first week, and so even though it was only 9 AM she had their laundry done while Leonard was out again helping her dad finish feeding the animals. Penny wished she could be as happy as she had been till then, but the not knowing was now getting to her and she needed to know if she was pregnant before she went nuts. So when her mother said she was going to the store, Penny found an excuse to go along, her whole purpose now to get pregnancy tests without her mother getting any ideas.

The trip was quiet and they had only been in the super store a few minutes when Penny disappeared from her mother, quickly finding the Pharmacy to look for her tests. There were so many different types so she knelt on the floor to read the boxes of a few, never seeing her mother come up behind her. "So maybe I'm a grandmother already?"

Penny dropped the box in her hand, in shock, turning to see her mother smirking at her. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"Baby girl, I have seen all your moods and expressions, and you remember I have seen you need these tests before."

Penny hung her head down, "Mom you know I may not be the first girl in our family to be not pregnant before she is married."

"Does Leonard know?"

"No….I don't even know yet, that is why I need these tests."

"Baby girl you seem scared are you afraid Leonard won't be happy?"

"No mom, I know Leonard would probably get super protective of me and want to get married tomorrow." Penny confessed

"Then why worry Sweetie, take your tests and just tell him." She gently put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

**VACATION**

It was almost 11 AM that morning when Penny had completed peeing on the three different sticks. She had done this wait several times before in her life, but she knew this was different, before she had felt alone and she knew it was her problem. But now she knew he would be with her, take care of her and would love them both. So she just sat there with her mother waiting for the seconds to pass, probably as nervous as she ever had been, her mind going over her options and how she would tell him. When the timer went off, Penny's mom turned over the tests, so the results were visible to them both, and as soon as she saw them, Penny began to cry.

**VACATION**

Leonard and Wyatt entered the kitchen just before noon, both starved from hard work and fresh air. Leonard enjoying helping Wyatt each morning, not even noticing that they worked hard and Wyatt, was just proud that this young man was going to be his daughter's husband and his son-in-law. However when they both saw Wyatt's wife they knew something was wrong, her sad eyes and sympathetic look at Leonard making Leonard immediately worried. "Sweetie, Penny is in the living room, you need to go to her."

Leonard's jaw dropped, "Is she okay."

"Physically yes, but she has something to tell you." Penny's mom just gave him a hug before he rushed to the living room to see his fiancée.

Wyatt looked at his wife. "What happened?" His wife just handing him a drink then motioning him to the table to tell him all that happened in their family this morning.

Leonard walked into the living room to find Penny sitting on the couch bent over and looking at a towel in her hands with three pregnancy tests laying on it. Leonard was in shock, looking from Penny to the towel and the only thing that came from his mouth, "Penny?"

His voice broke Penny from her trance, she quickly put the towel on the coffee table and lifted her arms for Leonard's embrace, "Leonard, hold me."

Leonard was on the couch with her in his arms, in a second, his touch seeming to release a wave of grief from her as she starting sobbing on his shoulder. He didn't know exactly what to do, but just obeyed her last request, determined not to talk or let her go until she was ready. It was a long 10 minutes before her sobs turned to soft crying and finally to sniffles, and he just kept quiet, until she seemed ready to talk. "Leonard, I love you."

"I love you too….Penny are you pregnant?"

She sniffled a little harder for a few seconds before shaking her head and softly saying, "No."

Leonard was a little confused and still a little concerned. "Honey, that's good,…..isn't it?"

Penny squeezed him a little tighter and then slowly and softly spoke into his ear. "Sweetie, you know how they say when you toss a coin, what really matters is when it is in the air, what you are hoping it will land on. While I waited for them to turn, I knew I wanted them to be positive."

Leonard felt a wave of pain wash over him and he squeezed her tighter as she started to softly cry again. He had never realized she thought that way about them and a family. "Honey, I would have been happy if they were positive too, but you know this is not the right time. A lot of things are happening in our lives and we have time, so Honey don't be sad there is still time for our family."

Penny stopped crying and rubbed her cheek on his, "I know, but I couldn't believe how much I wanted it to be real…..Leonard, will you marry me."

Leonard softly chuckled, "Of course, that is why I gave you the engagement ring, I wanted to marry you for a while."

Penny kissed his cheek and moved her lips near his ear. "I'm really ready Leonard, marry me."

Leonard held her tight, afraid to say anything, not knowing what she meant. "Penny you mean now?"

Penny nodded, "We could get married Saturday, my dad knows the priest at the church, he went to school with him and dad and mom are always helping at the church, he would do it for them. I already tried on my mother's wedding dress since we been here and it fits. My sister can be my maid of honor….."

"Okay." they softer, "Okay." Leonard softly chuckled, "We get married on Saturday." Penny pulled her head of his shoulder and looked into his eyes, a small smile on her lips, "I love you so much." then she kissed him.

**VACATION**

It was Sunday afternoon, and Sheldon and Amy were sitting on the couch watching a documentary on monkeys, when both Amy's and Sheldon's phone rang at almost the same time, notifying them of text messages. Amy smiled as soon as she read the first sentence, on her phone, while Sheldon frowned more and more as he read his phone. "I knew it, I just knew it."

Amy looked at Sheldon in surprise, "What did you know?"

"I knew if Leonard went on some hippy-dippy trip to the Midwest with Penny, he would disrupt my schedule even more than he originally promised. He is delinquent again with his responsibilities under the roommate agreement, with this additional week he is taking and he will be seriously critiqued when he returns with that roommate wrecker. I still can't believe he even took off all summer just to dilly dally across the country with her."

"Sheldon, I can still help you while they are gone, and besides it's the first week of their honeymoon, they need that time to themselves."

"Amy, they can't be on a honeymoon, they are not even….. d?" Suddenly Sheldon looked at Amy in surprised, well at least at what looked like surprise in Sheldon.

Amy just nodded and smiled. "Penny just text me they got married yesterday."

Sheldon glared at Amy for a few seconds, then realized it was not her fault, slowly turning towards the TV his frown only deepening, "Drat." the only word leaving his mouth.


End file.
